American swimmer Katie Ledecky became a household name at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she clocked astonishing times in the pool and ultimately became the most decorated woman athlete at the Games. But just how many Olympic medals does she count among her collection? To date, Ledecky has won an impressive six Olympic medals, five of which are gold — a tally she hopes to grow at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
Ledecky was just 15 and the youngest member of Team USA when she took home a gold medal in the 800m freestyle event at the 2012 Olympics in London. Four years later in Rio, she cleaned up, scoring four gold medals in the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 4x200m freestyle events. She also won a silver medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Now, the 24-year-old is set to swim in four events at the Tokyo Olympics, making this her third trip to the Games. Prior to her qualification, Ledecky told POPSUGAR that she was prepared to take on any challenges ahead of her. “Behind the blocks, before the races, of course I’m nervous just like everyone else. I have that nervous excitement in my stomach,” she said. “And I think back to all the hard work that I’ve put in and the confidence that I have in my training and knowing that I’m ready to compete.”
Ledecky will be competing in the women’s 400-meter, 200-meter, 800-meter, and 1,500-meter freestyle in Tokyo. Although she had a difficult run at the 2019 FINA World Championships — where she was in and out of the hospital with an illness — she still emerged with three medals. In Tokyo, it’s almost inevitable that she’ll make the podium again.
To learn more about all the Olympic hopefuls, visit TeamUSA.org. The Tokyo Olympics begin July 23 on NBC.